My wife, Paula, and I are drawn to the unusual in our travel tastes. Part of our joy in this process is observing how other cultures exist around the world. In the past we have visited many countries including India, Bhutan, Cambodia, Peru, Laos, Zimbabwe and Namibia. What all these destinations have in common is that they are profoundly different from life here in the U.S. All these past adventures led us to choose Morocco as a part of a broader trip to Europe this past May.

California Avocado Month is in full swing. Check out this KUSI segment featuring Chef Trey and you'll learn a nifty technique for peeling an avocado, how to freeze an avocado for future use and how to grill an avocado.

“How was it?” everyone asked upon my return from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) tradeshow last month in Chicago. In short, it was exhausting, exhilarating and exciting – maybe not in that order. I’d never been to the Windy City, so George and Trey thought it would be a good idea for me to attend. Where to eat was a pressing matter considering my coveted list of restaurant options is pretty long.

Sustainable Seafood Week begins this Wednesday, April 18, and runs through April 25. Sustainable seafood is part of our overall philosophy at George’s. We’ve been choosing what we think of as sustainable species for a long time now, and always used our local species – white seabass, black cod, spot prawns, spiny lobsters, yellowtail, etc.

I realized three years into my life at George’s that I was going to need to figure out how to keep the strength to stay in it for the long haul. As executive chef, I was going to need to stay inspired, creative, excited and most of all happy. That's why we are always challenging ourselves at George's, most recently with the creation of TBL3 (Table Three) which has received some recent attention and stirred up a conversation around degustation menus and their place in San Diego’s dining landscape. I decided it would be beneficial to anyone interested for me to explain TBL3 in my own words – what it is and why it exists.

February has become the month I travel to rejuvenate my culinary spirit. Each year I choose a different food destination where I spend one week on an exploratory food journey. Last year it was Paris with a side trip to The Sportsman in England. Following a bit in the footsteps of George and Paula, this year it was Madrid and San Sebastian.

Andrew Zimmern's show “Bizarre Foods America,” visits cities across the U.S. and explores the rich food culture and stories that our country is full of. When they contacted me and asked if I would like to be a part of their San Diego story, I was thrilled (and a bit nervous).

I’ve never done a “stage.” Well…maybe as part of interviewing for a new position, but never to just hang out and learn or absorb what another chef is doing. About six months ago I started thinking about staging with Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I’m not sure what prompted the thought, but I believe it had something to do with the creation of our TBL3 concept.

My wife, Paula, and I have been avoiding Europe for a number of years due to our desire to see the rest of the world and the punishing value of the dollar versus the euro. Overcoming fear of bankruptcy, we set out for Spain in early September. Our first stop was San Sebastian, a city of 187,000 people in the heart of the Basque country bordering the southwestern flank of France.